Hiking

The Gran Recorrido (GR) long-distance footpaths cover distances of over 50 kilometres and therefore require several days to do. These routes are marked with red signs. These long-distance GR trails also include European footpaths, which link various countries. Specifically, the European E3 (from Turkey to Santiago de Compostela), E4 (from Cyprus to Ceuta), E7 (from Serbia to El Hierro Island), E9 (from Estonia to Tarifa) and the E12 (from Slovenia to Tarifa via the Mediterranean) all pass through Spain.

The Pequeño Recorrido (PR) (short hiking routes) are between 10 and 50 kilometres long, and can be done in one or two days. They are marked with yellow signs.

The local footpaths (SL) are the shortest, covering distances of under 10 kilometres. They are marked with green signs, and are the most highly recommended (as they have a very low level of difficulty) for doing with children, or for people with low levels of physical fitness.

More information: FEDME (the Spanish Federation for Mountain and Climbing Sports).

However, not all the trails run along official footpaths, meaning that some of the signposting may be different.

They are trails covering more than 10,000 kilometres built on former infrastructures (railways tracks, canals, waterways, livestock trails, etc.) and are intended for use by hikers, cyclists and horse riders. Apart from doing sport, going on these routes gives people an opportunity to discover places associated with old professions or local culture. You can find information, maps and GPS downloads of the Nature Trails here .

More than 3,100 kilometres of old disused railway tracks that have been reconditioned into paths for cyclists and hikers. You can choose from more than 120 itineraries distributed throughout Spain.

These are routes that connect the beaches and ports awarded Blue Flag status and which, apart from being beautiful walks, contribute to caring for the coastline and the environment. You can find maps of the routes, distances, times and difficulty levels here. 

Spain boasts over 3,000 hours of sunshine a year and, depending on the area, you can go hiking all year round. Nevertheless, the best times are springtime (the days are longer and it is the flowering season) and autumn, to avoid the winter snow in certain areas of the mountains, and potentially high summer temperatures.

You don't need to be a federation member to go hiking in Spain. However, if you want to take part in any of the competitions that are organised –like mountain races–, you must obtain a licence from the federation in your country, and show you have civil liability and accident insurance with coverage in Spain. It's always a good idea to take out insurance to cover any incident in the setting where you are planning to go hiking. You should seek advice beforehand to make sure you choose your insurance based on the actual activity (its difficulty, among other aspects) you're planning to do.

Spain’s National Parks are free of charge and are open all year round. They all have visitor centres where you can find information about the characteristics of the routes. If you need advice, check with a club, association or a professional guide.

Spain has tight restrictions in this respect, therefore it would be wise to check which permits are necessary in controlled camping areas before embarking on any route. Remember that it is usually prohibited to light fires and leave litter.

Spain has a wide range of rural accommodation (both classic and modern design, or original locations like tree houses perched high in the trees), campsites and mountain shelters in direct contact with the natural environment.

If you're planning on taking a long-distance GR route, ask beforehand in the tourist office or visitor centre about its level of difficulty and about nearby shelters.

In case of need, call the emergency telephone number 112. There is an app for Android and iOS.

You can take advantage of other activities along the routes, such as birdwatching. Many of these hiking paths are associated with important cultural attractions, such as the famous Camino de Santiago, the Romanesque route in the Boí valley, and the Silver Route.

If you are travelling with children, there are some interesting routes such as the ones in Teruel following the trail of the dinosaurs.

There are even stargazing tours at night in places that are world-famous for their clear skies, such as those on the Canary Island of La Palma.